Cabinet construction



Jan. 30, 1934.

z. cHAFl-:E 1,945,020

CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE Y Jan.3o, 1934. z CHAFEE 1,945,020

CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 3, 193l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 maw A TTU/ENE YPatented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES P ATE T QFFCE Application January3,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in cabinet construction,particularly in the type of cabinet adapted to be used in gas andelectric ranges as ovens, burner units, etc., or as refrigerators,particularly automatic refrigerators, electrically or gas operated.

An obj ect of my invention is to provide a cabinet including asupporting skeleton frame having substantially all of the exposed parts,such as the walls thereof mounted on said skeleton frame, which thusbears all the strain.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a cabinetconstruction, in which the side walls thereof are easily detachable forconvenience in replacement, etc.

My invention is particularly useful in devices,

such as gas ranges, refrigerators, etc., where it is desired toornament, such as by enameling, painting, etc., the exposed wallsthereof and by myl improved construction I am enabled to so mount thelighter ornamented walls thereof that they will be subject to no strainor stress in use. In fact, in employing my invention even such frangiblematerial as painted asbestos may be employed as the walls thereof. Myinvention is particularly adapted, however, for enameled metal ware andis so designed that the expansion or contraction of the metal will notcause any cracking of the enamel.

A further feature of my invention involves ythat I need only enamel orotherwise ornament the exposed surfaces of the wallsrup to their pointsof yattachment to the skeleton frame, while the attached member shieldsv all unfinished portions from View.

A further feature of an embodiment of my invention resides in the factthat I am enabled to provide walls and other portions which may bestored and shipped fiat.

A further feature of my invention relates to the fact that I believe Iam the first to provide a skeleton frame construction consisting ofcorner or side bars having chamfered edges to which clamping bars ormeans may be attached having means thereon adapted to abut the chamferededges to limit the movement of the clamping means theretoward and havinglateral clamping portions adapted to clamp the edges of said ornamentedwalls to said corner bars. By employing these stop means I am enabled toloosely bind the edges of the side walls to the frame by means of myimproved clamping means in a'manner to permit expansion or contractionof the metal walls and varying strains on the supporting 1931. serialNo. 506,419

(c1. 22o-s0) framework without cracking the enamel or ornamentationthereon.

These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appearwill be best understood from a description of the embodiments thereofshown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a gas range employingmy improved cabinet construction having portions thereof broken away toshow said construction.

Fig. 2 is an oblique plan view of a frame corner cabinet constructionmade in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof taken along the line 3 3 of Figs. 1and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional ViewA thereof taken along the line 4 4 of Figs. 1and 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 of a slightly differentembodiment of my invention wherein the lateral portions of the clampingbars clamp the edges of the walls against the sides of the corner bars.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 of a further modificationof my invention generally similar to that shown in Fig. '7 wherein theedges of thewalls are not doubled over on themselves.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view generally similar to Fig. 7 showing aslightly different embodiment of my invention, wherein the side walls ofthe clamping bars are slightly inset instead of providing the stop meanson the clamping bars themselves to limit the degree of gripping of theedges of the side walls between the lateral portions of the clampingbars and the side walls of the frame, in this instance not shownenamelled.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate likeparts throughout, 15 generally indicates a gas range cabinet constructedin accordance with the teachings of my invention. Said gas range 15consists of the skeleton frame 12 constructed of chamfered corner barsle and side bars 17 having chamfered edges 16 and sides 18 exterior ofsaid chamfered portions 16. In my preferred embodiment the edges of thecorner bars are chamfered at approximately 45 to each side wall. I amaware that others have attempted partially to nonstrainably mountenameled or otherwise ornamented walls von skeleton frames, but theyhaveendeavored to do so completely at other places than at the corners ofthe corner bars or other frame bars and `I believe I am the rst torealize that the most convenient and neatest place for nonstrainablyattaching side walls of this description to a skeleton frame is tocharnfer the edges of the corner or side bars for this purpose. Theskeleton frame 12 is thus constructed of the desired number of corner orside bars which for the purposes of my invention may either be theupright bars, corner edge bars, or the top or bottom bars suitablyjoined together to form the skeleton frame and in the embodiment shownsaid skeleton frame 12 is suitably mounted on the legs 20. To enclosethe cabinet I provide the walls 22. As in most refrigerators and gasrange constructions today the tendency is towards the more ornamentalthings, the walls, whether they consist of the side walls, top or bottomwalls, may consist of any suitable material, such as metal, phenolcondensation product, asbestos, etc. and preferably either enameled orotherwise suitably painted or ornamented. In my preferred embodiment,the side walls 22 are suitably ornamented substantially to the edgesthereof as at 24 leaving the edges 26 thereof substantially free ofenamel or other ornamentation. In the preferred embodiment shown inFigs. 1-4 the walls are constructed of ilat plate and the edges thereofare bent obliquely at 45 relative thereto as shown at 27 and arepreferably doubled over on themselves as shown at 28 preferably prior toenameling, the enameled portion 24 stopping just adjacent to the bentand/or doubled over portions. For ease in handling, however, if desiredas shown in Figs. 7-9 the walls 22 may be constructed flat and may havetheir edges 26 doubled over as at 28 as shown in Fig. 7 or may havetheir edges flat as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the enameled or ornamentedsurface 24 in Fig. 8 preferably stopping slightly away from said edges.I provide means to clamp either the bent over edges 26 shown in Figs. 3and 4 doubled over as at 28 or the straight edges shown in Fig. 7doubled over as at 28 or the plain edges 25 as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 tosaid corner bars. Said clamping means 30 is provided with the laterallyprojecting clamping portions 32 adapted. to loosely and nonstrainablyclamp the unenameled edges 26 of said Walls to said corner bars. In thepreferred embodiment shown in Figs. 1-4 said laterally projectingportions 32 are adapted to clamp the bent over and doubled over edges 26and/or 28 of said side walls 22 against the chamfered portions of saidcorner bars. Said clamping means 30 is also provided with stop means 84projecting inwardly therefrom adapted to abut the chamfered portions 16of said corner bars. It is thus obvious where the edges are doubled overas at 28 that said stop means will permit the laterally extendingportions to loosely bind the edges 28 of said walls 22 against saidcorner bars to permit eXpan- Ysion or contraction thereof withoutcracking the enamel. I also provide means 36 to secure said clampingmeans to the chamfered portions 16 of said corner bars. In my preferredembodiment said means comprising the bolts or screws 36 projectingthrough suitable holes 38 in said clamping means and threaded intosuitable holes 40 in the chamfered portions 16 of said bars. It isobvious that said clamping means 30 may be of any length so long as theyare provided with the securing means 36 and the stop means 34. In mypreferred embodiment, however, said clamping means 36 consists ofclamping bars 36 preferably extending substantially the length of eachrespective corner or side bar, being thus provided with the spaced holes38 for the securing means 36 therein and in between said holes with thestop inwardy projecting ribs 34. For purposes of more easy storage andwhere it is de sired to enamel the side walls 22 substantially to theedges thereof I preferably extend the length of the laterally projectingportions 32 into the portions S2' shown in Figs. 7-9 so that saidlaterally extending portions 32 may clamp the doubled over edges 28 orstraight edges 25 of said walls 22 directly against the sides 18 of saidcorner bars. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 7-9 thestop means 34 may be continued as a rib along the corner bars evenaround the screw holes 38 or may be omitted adjacent the bolt or screwholes 38 if desired. In Fig. 7, I have shown the edges of the fiatenameled walls doubled over as at 28 although not obliquely set inaccordance with the degree of chamfer as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in orderto provide a loose fit for the edges thereof between the lateralclamping portions 32 and the side walls 18 of the corner bars. Ifdesired where employing the flat construction of side walls, however,their edges may be merely left fiat as shown at 25 in Fig. 8. Instead ofproviding the inwardly projecting means 34 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 thesides 18 of the corner bars may be inset as at 42 (see Fig. 9) to permita loose clamping action of the edges 25 of the side walls 22 betweensaid sides 18 and overlapping portions 32. As stated my inventionincludes the combination of any corner or side bar 14 constructed asexplained and the side Walls 22 on each side thereof and the clampingmeans 30 whether employed for a vertical or horizontal corner of thecabinet. In Fig. 1, I have shown them employed for the top corners aswell as for the vertical and bottom corners. If desired a bar 12 may beemployed as a side, top or bottom bar intermediate the wall portions asshown in Figs. 5 and 6 and in this case the chamfered edge 16 may beparallel to the sides of the cabinet to have the wall portions 22clamped directly against it as shown in Fig. 5, or it may be oblique tosaid wall portions as shown in Fig. 6 in which case the wall edges 26may be clamped against one of the sides 18 of the bars as shown in Fig.6. To assemble the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1it is merely necessary to suitably secure together in any desiredfashion the chamfered corner bars 14 to make up the frame 12. The wallsconsisting of the top or actual side Walls 22 are then rested thereon sothat the edges thereof lie against the chamfered portions of the frameas shown in Figs. 3-4 or the side p0rtions of the corner bars as shownin Figs. 5 6. The clamping bars are then inserted over the edges of saidcorner bars and said side walls 22 and the securing means 36 insertedwithin the holes 38 to suitably secure said clamping means and edges 26of said side walls 22 against either the chamfered portions 16 of thecorner bars as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 or against the sides thereof asshown in Figs. 7 9.

It is obvious that I have provided a construction which may be readilydetached by merely unscrewing the clamping bars after which the sideWalls may be readily removed and if desired replaced by new ones. It isthus obvious that I have provided a construction easy to fabricate andin which the points of attachment of the side walls of the skeletonframe are largely concealed by the neat looking clamping barsfunctioning against the chamfered edges or sides of the skeleton framecorner or other bars.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specificembodiments shown and that various deviations may be made therefromWithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a heating cabinet construction. subject to Wide variations inheat, a skeleton frame constructed of charnfered corner bars havingsides exterior of said chamfer, Walls having outer enameled surfaceswith unenameled edges, clamping means having lateral clamping portionsadapted to clamp the unenameled edges of said Walls to said corner barshaving stop means projecting inwardly therefrom adapted to abut thechamfered portion of said corner bars to permit said portions to gripthe edges of said enameled Walls with friction to permit expansion andcontraction thereof and means to secure said clamping means to theehamfered portion of said corner bars.

2. In a heating cabinet construction subject to Wide variations in heat,a ehamfered corner bar having sides exterior of said chamfer, Wallshaving outer enameled surfaces with unenameled edges, clamping meanshaving lateral clamping portions adapted to clamp the unenameled edgesof said walls to said corner bar having stop means projecting inwardlytherefrom adapted to abut the chamfered portion of said corner bar topermit said portions to grip the edges of said enameled Walls withfriction to permit expansion and contraction thereof and means to securesaid clamping means to the charnfered portion of said corner bar.

Y ZECI-IARIAH CHAFEE.

